Carlie absolutely hated small talk. She hated how everyone hated it, but tried to use it anyway. She thought that it was much easier to ask a question and cut out the niceties. So that's what she was going to do here.. Maybe she'd make a friend. Maybe she'd make an enemy. but it didn't matter. She just needed to know people.

So Carlie walked up to the first kid she saw sitting by herself. "How do you feel about ghosts? And how do you feel about a castle full of them?" she asked, mostly joking, but with the most serious tone of voice she could manage.

Apollo was in Le Petit Dragon, as always, trying to meet new people. Sophie, Autumn, Aidan...these were his only friends till now...he had to make more of them!

As he excitedly searched for people (while imagining how many good friends he'll probably make if he continues like that), a girl approached him and asked him something. He didn't know her, but he didn't really care anyway...

“I think they're cool and scary at the same time! What do you think of them?" He exclaimed as he smiled cheerfully.

Carlie snorted. "I don't have an opinion one way or the other. I was just curious. Have you seen them before?" she asked. "I haven't."

Carlie couldn't help but smile at the boy. He reminded her of the stereotypical little brother that she'd always wanted but didn't have. Even though she might be several years younger than him. "I'm Carlie. I just transferred," she said, offering her hand for him to shake.

"Nah, I've never seen them before...I hope they're fun to hang out with!" He giggled and shook her hand.

"I'm Apollo, I got transferred as well. What a coincidence!" A new friend, he thought. She didn't seem as cheerful and fun-loving as him, despite being younger, but Carlie definitely seemed to be a nice girl.

Apollo smiled...she did look like a good girl...new friend! Yay, he thought.

"I live in France for my whole life, but I have Greek descent. I used to go to a school at the outskirts of Paris...but it wasn't really good...which was your previous school? And where are you from? I'm interested in foreign cultures." He said with a friendly smile drawn upon his smile.

"My previous school? I'd rather not talk about it. It was a school for rich kids where they made fun of people who didn't have money, just know that," Carlie explained. "I'm from America. I live in Texas. I came here because I wanted to experience French culture. But so far, I've barely met anyone who is just French. I've met a lot of kids from the UK, though. Speaking English with them was interesting. Do you speak only French?"

"I mainly speak French with most people here and Greek with my dad and the rest of my family...I'm fluent in English too." He said rather happily. Apollo surely liked talking about languages and cultures. If that girl liked it too then they'd get along perfectly.

"Cool! I only speak English and French. I tried to take Spanish, but I gave up on it. Spanish is really useful in my city, though. I might try to learn it again," Carlie explained. "This is actually my first time out of North America. Do you travel much?"

"Spanish seems like a nice language...can you please tell me a phrase you remember?" He said rather excitedly...foreign languages...yeah...one of Apollo's favorite things in this world.

"I like traveling. I've been to England, a lot of different places in France and Greece. I actually visit Greece every summer to see my relatives." He said as he smiled cheerfully...He liked that conversation...traveling, culture, languages...